SUMMER x London // Dialing 999 ?!

Finished with exams on Tuesday.

Officially summer break for me!!

Made quite a last minute decision to head down to London yesterday since I haven't been there in awhile.

The view on the train journey // the English countryside.

One of my pitstops whenever I'm in London is Harrods.

Even if you don't get anything, window shopping in Harrods still never gets boring.

It's THE disneyland for shopaholics.

Had lunch at one of my favorite places for steak - The Steakhouse @ the Harrods food-hall.

You get to choose the type/cut of meat & how many grams of it you want. They've a butcher who will prepare it for you & then send it off to the kitchen who will cook it. I like watching what goes on in the kitchen so their bar/open-kitchen concept is great because you get to watch the chefs in action.

My 150g steak with their truffle & marscapone sauce.

SO GOOD. Getting hungrier with each word I type.... Its slightly pricy but definitely worth it!

The next place I always visit in London, apart from Harrods, is Selfridges.

Yes, I only go to London to shop.... ;)

Went to the Chrome Hearts store in Selfridges! The last time I visited, they didn't have any clothing in stock yet, but I managed to get what I was looking for this time!

Don't get your hopes up if you're planning on visiting their store though. Selection was quite limited & the pieces I managed to get were the last ones in their size, color & design..

CH Store 

My loot.

This is already considered me having self-control....

Dinner was at Scoff & Banter in the Radisson Blu hotel.

My leek & onion soup.

Anne's burger.

Really enjoyed myself on my mini day trip. Made me miss my year in London!

Finally got to catch up with one of my fav Arabs from foundation days, Rifa, & her sister, even though it was quite last minute as well :)

Took the train back after dinner & that's when my day started to get more "exciting" (or rather, took a turn for the worst..). Train got delayed so many times. Once because a passenger got on the wrong train & needed to get off since it was the last train. Shortly after, everyone had to get on a new train because they kept resetting the system but the brakes were still faulty.

Got back way past midnight & was already so tired out by then.

Now this is where the most dramatic part of my night starts..

Leading to my apartment is an alley. Walked halfway through that alley & could make out a BODY at the foot of my apartment entrance. At this point, being all alone in that alley at night, I was naturally quite scared. Called out to see if the person was conscious a few times. No response. I started panicking because once the clock strikes midnight, a bunch of rowdy/drunk people always seem to start to emerge.

Thank goodness my friend Anne's accommodation is right across the street from mine. Kept knocking on the glass door of her place to get the security guard to let me in so I wouldn't have to stay on the streets.

Ended up calling the POLICE.... They kept asking me over the phone to provide them with descriptions about the "body" (i.e. race, around how old, is he breathing, etc) & the only thing I would reply with was "I don't know because I'm too scared to go closer.." HAHA. Honestly if the guy was dying he probably would've already died after such long phone call....

I was already quite tired out by then because it was past 1a.m. Thank goodness Anne came down to accompany me even though she was in her pajamas (LOL).... I probably would've cried there & then otherwise (thanks Anne!). Being tired & being unable to enter your apartment because a body is blocking the door is not exactly the best combination....

They eventually said they would dispatch an ambulance. 

An ambulance came & we brought them to the guy. Turns out it was a drunk homeless guy. Was still quite afraid to go back to my apartment because he was still lying there. Who knew whether he was crazy or not.... Apparently the ambulance crew couldn't move him as it was the police's job to do so.... So even through the night the drunk homeless guy just continued to lay right outside the entrance door....

Thank goodness one of the ambulance crew said he would walk me back down the alley to my apartment. He had to ask the homeless guy to move just a bit since the door would hit him in the head if he continued laying there. Drunk homeless guy just said no, muttered some curse words, said something incoherently, & continued sleeping!

Really don't know what to make of this whole situation.. 

I know I'm probably overreacting to some but this is such a stark contrast to Singapore that I couldn't help but be quite shaken up. Highly doubt there are many drunk homeless guys lying outside apartment entrances in Singapore....

As if I couldn't wait to be back home already, now I want to be back even more! Feel so much safer & at peace in Singapore!

Even as I type this post now, I can hear people, probably already drunk, yelling on the streets & its only 8p.m here.

Never ever taking how safe Singapore is for granted ever again..

Can't wait to get out of here....

& TO BE BACK HOME SOON.

xx

ask.fm/fashfoodx

instagram.com/nicsamx

♡ September Lusts ♡

Thought I would make it a regular thing of sharing what I've been lusting after the start of each month. So here's my September Lusts!

Enjoy!

1) Graphic tees

I know a cute graphic tee when I see one! Everyone is bound to have one of those I'm-too-lazy-to-dress-up days at some point.. (..or is it just me?). Solution: Without having to try hard at all, just throw on a cute graphic tee with your comfiest pair of shorts/jeans/leggings/skirt/whateverfloatsyourboat.

If graphic tees could say a thousand words about a person, this one definitely screams me.

This is from Widlfox Couture - basically, the designer brand of graphic tees.

If you find dropping $100 on a graphic tee a bit much, I completely understand.. Just hit up your local topshop/h&m/forever 21! They are bound to have a whole section dedicated solely to graphic tees.

2) Valentino rockstud leather bracelet

I haven't really paid much attention to this brand but recently, I've been lusting over everything Valentino!

I'm no punk rocker but I have an unusual weakness for studs. From their studded bags to shoes to accessories, its no wonder it hasn't taken much for me to fall in love Valentino.

I especially love the chunky studs on this bracelet. 

Studs + statement piece = Samantha might just have to skip meals for awhile........

http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/373234

£165

3) Mnologie perspex clutch

I delight in finding small, independent stores. This lessens the chance of an awkward "who wore it best" moment.. 

This is why I was happy to have chanced upon Mnologie, an online store based in Bali. Apparently, all items are handmade and carefully selected by the owner.

How chic is this perspex clutch? With the increasing trend of play on brand names, the 'Celine me Alone' pouch definitely ups your stakes in the fashion game. Even if you aren't keen on the pouch, mnologie stock a selection you can choose from. I've always been too scared to carry a transparent bag. My fear probably stems from the fact that I may or may not be the most organized person when it comes to my bags.... With this clutch, the pouch is a life saver in hiding the deep dark secrets of your bag.

Oh and did I mention, this bag can be personalized. You can engrave your name on the clasp of the bag so no one else will ever have the same exact copy as you.. ;)

Really tempted to place an order for this bag!

4) Stuart Weitzman 5050's (boots)

These boots are made for walkin'. But definitely not wearing.... I've had my eye on them for awhile. Well, I tried them on in the store not too long ago. Was wearing jeans. Took 5 mins for me to put them on. My leg was up in the air, sideways, flailing around. The sales assistants even tried to assist my feet in sliding into these boots - not 1, but 2 people. All this in a bid to try to get them on. Even after all this hubbub surrounding my feet, they only managed to make it halfway.... 

This was definitely my Cinderella step sister moment.. Or if you know me well enough, just a typical Samantha one..

As if one embarrassing attempt isn't enough, I refuse to be defeated. After constantly finding these boots mysteriously pop up on my google image page, I'm convincing myself to give these boots and my step sister feet one more go. If it's good enough for Angelina Jolie, it's good enough for me. In order not to repeat my "Cinderella" stunt, I'm probably going to wear leggings instead of jeans with these boots in the future. Would definitely recommend those of you who are interested to do the same - learn from my mistakes.

Do you guys think the £395.00 price tag is worth the splurge though? (trying to justify it here! Especially since I've such a difficult time putting them on..)

5) Year Zero London Customized Bag

When I saw this, I immediately knew it had to be on this list.

Year Zero London basically do graffiti, but on designer handbags. It cannot get anymore customized than that..

(image source: gift-library.com)

I'm a hello kitty fan so this definitely caught my attention. However, with a normal LV neverfull probably less than 600GBP, the price for this bag at 3000GBP is definitely slightlyyyy inflated..

Still a major lust though!

6) Hermes Kelly Dog

ahh, the H word........ 

As of late, I've decided to only spend money on accessories that I know are classics. Basically, pieces that will last me a lifetime and that I can eventually hand over to future generations of my family. With this motto in mind, I've been lusting over the Hermes Kelly Dog as it fulfills of all those things.

At 350GBP, it is a little pricey but considering its Hermes, the price is justified a little since you'll be expecting nothing but the best quality through all the wear.

Currently on the lookout for it in black with gold hardware since black is a versatile color and I usually wear gold accessories. Any donors please do not hesitate to contact me ;)

7) Chanel Ballet Flats

I've been on the look out for a new pair of flats but have yet to find a pair I really like. Comfort is a top priority on my list of qualities I look for in the perfect pair of ballet flats (yes, instead of choosing guys, I choose shoes). Practicality should probably be up there with comfort but that plummeted to the bottom of the list when I spotted these nude Chanel ballet flats. Seeing as how I live in rainy UK, these probably won't see the light of day if I buy them. Nevertheless, I may act on impulsiveness and get these.... Someone definitely needs to restrain me whenever I'm near a Chanel store..

(image source: not my own)

8) Bling laptop case

I love my bling so this laptop case definitely had to be in my lusts for this month!

I love how this laptop case is in black crystals. Provides enough bling but doesn't overdo it. Yet, still has an edgy vibe.

Possible upcoming D.I.Y project for me!

Do you lust? ;)

xx

ftc disclaimer : all pictures aren't mine unless otherwise stated.